We made a great decision by hiring Joke as our doula. It was extra necessary as I had no family who could support me due to travel ban of because of coronavirus situation. It was our first pregnancy, I was initially worried about what to expect. We had a very good first meeting with Joke and it instantly clicked. She sent us lot of help with information about breathing techniques, exercises, and also birth videos to make myself familiarise with the pregnancy and what is my body going through. It was a great resource for me as I wasnt aware of many details. She also provided me with introduction to hypnobirthing and I think it greatly helped me.
She was constantly checking on me and provided me with much needed emotional support. My pregnancy and childbirth would have gone very different if we had not contacted Joke. During the childbirth she was by my side with encouraging words and aromatherapy, music and massagea which greatly helped me. She provided a clarity of my labour by providing timeline, photos and clear description on different times. Our daughter Leya was born in a calm atmosphere after 6 hours of active labor. She was with me through out providing me with suggestions on how to progress the labor and how to make it relaxing. After a great delivery, I had to go to hospital for stitches and Joke accompanied me to the hospital as my husband had to be with the baby due to her temperature. She provided me with moral support that I am grateful for.
She was also supportive after the birth during my postpartum blues. Her understanding and encouragement made it easy to deal with the overwhelming emotions and responsibilities. She is highly recommended.